Marco Bezzecchi
Jorge Martin was the deserved MotoGP champion in 2024 and fought intense pressure from Francesco Bagnaia to secure the honours.
This season he will no longer compete on the imperious Ducati bike and must adjust to life on an Aprilia after earning his first factory gig.
Martin suffered a disastrous start to 2025 when he highsided on day one of the Sepang pre-season testing, fracturing bones in his right hand and left foot.
He has missed the first two races of the MotoGP season as a result, and may have to miss a third at the end of the month (Grand Prix of the Americas).
Martin could return to the Aprilia garage in Argentina as he looks to support his new team in the race to chase Ducati.
Pramac’s Paolo Campinoti suggests Martin will return in Qatar, which would mean he has missed three valuable races and lost considerable ground in the championship fight.
READ MORE: ‘Sources close’ to Jorge Martin have now shared good news on Aprilia rider amid crash recovery
Jorge Martin’s mother requests MotoGP grid photo is retaken for her son in 2025
The 2024 MotoGP championship was a strange affair. Francesco Bagnaia won 11 races to Martin’s three, but still failed to take the crown.
The Italian rider was far more mistake-prone and he ended up missing out on a third consecutive crown by just 10 points.
Martin’s only reward wasn’t just the big trophy, but the chance to have the prestigious number one on his bike this year too.
His mother was left ‘hurt’ that he wasn’t able to sit on the front row of the grid picture for 2025 as a result of his injuries, and hopes that action will be taken to rectify it.
“When Jorge first started we always saw him at the back of the group,” she said. “But as he was advancing in that photo, I remember his father saying ‘One day our son will be there in the front row.’
“And now it turns out that the picture was taken and he’s not there. I hoped they [would] repeat it. It would be nice to have the photo where he has the deserved title of being first. That picture hurt me a little bit.”
READ MORE: MotoGP medical chief has firmly told Jorge Martin not to do one thing amid injury absence
Can Jorge Martin win a MotoGP race for Aprilia in 2025?
Pre-season testing showed some positive signs for Aprilia, as Marco Bezzecchi handled the pressure and workload well without his teammate.
Their performance was a mixed bag at the Grand Prix of Thailand, but it was their satellite team that gives them the most hope for the rest of 2025.
Ai Ogura challenged the factory Ducati of Bagnaia on debut and was very close to managing a podium in the main race.
Just imagine what a fully fit version of Martin could do on the factory machine. He might have been able to challenge Marc Marquez for victory.
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